Suction pump



Nov. 11, 1947. M.-V. BERNAL' 2,

SUCTION PUMP 3 Original Filed Aug. 20, 1945 5 F" .1 z l Maurice Z'JBernaZ Elm/m Patented Nov. 11, 1947 SUCTION PUMP Maurice V. Bernal, Merced, Oalifi, assignor of one-half to James Turner, Merced, Calif.

Original application August 20, 1943, Serial No. 499,366. Divided and this application October 11, 1944, Serial No. 558,174

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates in general to an improved suction pump, and in particular the invention is directed to, and it is an object to provide, a novel suction pump especially designed for use in a suction type street cleaner, as shown for example in copending application, Serial No. 499,366, filed August 20, 1943, now matured into Patent No. 2,361,909 of November 7, 1944, and of which the present application is a division as to all common subject matter.

It is another object of this invention to provide a suction pump for street cleaners, which is of relatively high capacity and so constructed to assure a free flow of picked-up leaves, debris, etc., through the pump without clogging or stalling the latter.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a suction pump, as above, which includes a rotor and an enclosing housing; there being a relatively large diameter, central intake opening in one side of the housing, and a relatively large diameter bell secured over said opening and adapted, at the end opposite the housing, for connection with an intake conduit. The rotor includes paddle-like vanes which run with substantial clearance relative to the walls of the pump housing.

A further object of the invention is to produce a simple and inexpensive device, and yet one which will be exceedingly effective for the purpose for which it is designed.

These objects I accomplish by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specifications and claim.

In the drawings similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views:

Figure 1 is a transverse section of one embodiment of the suction pump.

Figure 2 is a transverse section of a varied embodiment of the pump.

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the embodiment shown in Fig. 1, taken from the intake side of the housing.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on the drawings, and at present to the embodiment of Figs. 1 and 3, the pump comprises an annular housing, indicated generally at I, which isof substantial axial extent and relatively large diameter, said housing including opposed circular side walls 2 and 3, and a substantially annular end wall 4. A tangential type outlet fitting 5 leads from the housing I, as shown. The housing I is suitably supported with its aXis horizontal from a base 6.

Within the housing I the suction pump includes a rotor, indicated generally at I, which comprises, with a relatively small-diameter hub 8, a plurality of paddles or vanes 9 which are fixed on said hub and radiate therefrom in circumferentially spaced relation. These vanes 9 terminate at their outer ends a substantial distance from the end wall 4 of the housing I, and in addition have substantial clearance between the side edges and the corresponding side walls 2 and 3 of the housing. Adjacent their inner ends the vanes 9 are decreased substantially in width, as at I0, whereby to increase the distance or clearance between the vanes and side wall 3, and between said vanes and a relatively large-diameter, circular air intake opening II formed in the side wall 2.

The opening II is normally covered by a rela tively large, outwardly extending bell I2 which has substantial depth axially and includes a central, tubular intake fitting I3 of somewhat lesser diameter than the bell I2, and which fitting projects axially outwardly therefrom.

The intake fitting I3 is adapted for connection with the suction or pick-up conduit of the street cleaner, whereas the outlet fitting 5 is adapted for connection with the discharge conduit thereof. The rotor I is supported and driven by means of a central shaft I4 carried exteriorally of the side wall 3 in a journal I5 mounted on a basesupported bracket I6.

It will be seen that due to the substantial clearance with which the rotor vanes 9 run in the housing I, and which clearance is supplemented by the decreased-width portions I0 of said vanes, together with the bell I2, the suction pump will not tend to clog or stall due to overloading; there being a free flow of air, together with leaves, debris, etc., through the pump. This is a feature which is very advantageous in a suction type street cleaner, as will be evident.

In the embodiment of Fig. 2 the general assembly of the suction pump remains substantially the same,'and includes a circular housing having substantially annular side walls I1 and I8, together with an end wall IS. The substantially tangential outlet is indicated at 20, while the side wall I! includes a large diameter, circular and central opening 2! embraced by a bell 22 which includes an intake fitting 23. However, in this embodiment the rotor and its mount is of somewhat varied construction and comprises the following:

The rotor includes a hub 24 which is relatively thin axially but somewhat enlarged over the hub shown in Fig. 1, the rotor vanes 25 being direct connected to radial attachment fingers 26 which project outwardly from the hub 24 in circumferentially spaced relation. As in the embodiment of Fig. 1 the vanes 25 run in substantial clearance relation to the side walls I1 and I8, as well as the endwall w of the housing.

The hub 24 is carried on a horizontal drive shaft 2'! which is supported by axially spaced, journals 28 fixed in connection with a frame 29" mounted on a base 30. In order to permit the innermost journal 28 to be disposed close to the hub whereby to stabilize the rotor and to prevent vibration thereof, the side wall [8 is formed with a central opening into which an inverted. cup 3t projects, said cup including a flange connection with the side wall It. The adjacent portions of the vanes 25 are cut away in symmetrical relation to the cup to provide the necessary and desirable clearance. With this arrangement the innermost journal 28. may be disposed in a position which lies partially within the cup 3i and consequently in closer relation to the rotor than would otherwise be possible.

The embodiment of Fig. 2 has the same desirable. characteristics as the embodiment of Fig. 1, namely, the ability to run at relatively high capacity without choking up with the material drawn by suction into the pump, and to discharge such debris from the pump freely and continuously.

From, the foregoing description it will be readily seen that I have produced such a device. as substantially fulfills the objects of the invention as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice such deviations from such detail maybe resorted to as do not form a departure 4 from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and useful and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

A suction pump including a housing, a driven vane unit turnable in the housing and including paddle-like vanes radiating from a hub, said vanes being of relatively small width for some distance radially out from the hub and the main portion of the vanes outwardly from said reduced portions having substantial clearance with the wall of the housing, one side of the housing having an intake opening concentric with the vane unit and whose. diameter is substantially that or; the, central plane, of the main portions of the vanes, an intake conduit concentric with the opening disposed radially out from said one side of the housing and of reduced size relative to said opening, and a bell between and connecting theintake and wall; the bell in cross section being substantially quarter-circle in form.

'MAURICE V. BERNAL.

REFERENCES CITED 'I-he fol-lowing references are of record in. the file of this. patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 427,060 Edwards et al. May 6, 1890 550,797- Marshall Dec. 3, 1895 923,914 Watson et al June 8, 1909 1,328,051 Smith et al Jan. 13, 1920 1,543,740 Wahle June 30, 1925 1,556,203 Clarage Oct. 6, 1925 1,558,055 Smith Oct. 20, 1925 1,928,795 Reid Oct. 3, 1933' 1,999,163 Allen Apr. 23, 1935 2,323,382 Dibovsky- July 6, 1943 

